How Being a Workaholic Now Reduces Your Life Expectancy

Many people are encouraged to work late, to stay up late and to take work home to show that they are being useful and productive, but many people are unaware that doing this can have serious implications for your health in your later years. People should instead strive to be hardworking, where they prioritize and set goals and deadlines, then meet them. Many workaholics are so focused on accomplishing small tasks that they often times fail to see the bigger picture, many times even when it is staring them right in the face.

Many workaholics pride themselves on working long into the night, but they fail to realize that oftentimes this is due to the fact that they did not accomplish the tasks that they need to during the day (or during work time). The fact that these people are often praised for their dangerous and volatile work habits are another factor which needs to be corrected. Many psychologists now consider most workaholics to be putting themselves in clear danger regarding their mental and physical health, both now and during their elderly years.

Many people who are characterized as workaholics generally have a controlling personality, are perfectionists or see this as the only way to impress the boss and move up the personally and professional ladder. Many people who have very few friends or family, or have no close personal relationship use work as a means of escaping that absence of love and affection. This can lead to many health problems such as; heart disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, stress and a myriad of cardiovascular and mental disorders.

Increased competition in school and in the workplace, increased pressure for results, the instant gratification mentality of many people and the advance in technology have all helped to create a more stressful environment to work in, but a line has to be drawn between hard work and workaholics.

Many companies essentially encourage this practice by rewarding workaholics because they believe that they are getting more 'bang for their buck' but what happens is that the person's long term health is put at risk with this sort of behavior. The attitude of the workaholic can also harm the company by destroying team morale and encouraging insolence. When the workaholic is forced to keep up their rigorous lifestyle, their body becomes weakened from exposure to the high stress levels and high blood pressure which causes havoc in the later years, when the workaholic becomes older.

In essence, being a workaholic is different from being a hard worker, and work can become an addiction like any other substance. Time is necessary for relaxation and rest or else the money that you make or save today will be spent tomorrow, treating all the health problems that come with being a workaholic, and not knowing when to stop working.

References
1.http://spanish.china.org.cn/english/China/100182.htm
2. http://www.helium.com/items/507401-the-consequences-of-sleep-deprivation
3. http://sleepdisorders.about.com/b/2009/08/07/sleep-deprivation-increases-risk-for-diabetes.htm